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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — a line
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spring — the season
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — for sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. field — a subject
  16. band — a music group
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. field — farmland
  20. band — a ring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com